Bailey's Artic Adventure
Bailey of Bristol take one of their motorhomes and two of their caravans to the Arctic Circle!
In a further demonstration of the strength and durability Bailey of Bristol have recently completed another marathon product endurance test by taking two caravans and a motorhome to the Arctic Circle and back. This time the company, in association with the Caravan and Motorhome Club, took two caravans (a Pursuit 530-4 and 550-4) and one motorhome (an Autograph 75-2) on an epic 5,000- mile journey to the Arctic Circle.
The Bailey 'Arctic Adventure' set off from the world renowned Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire on 2nd March, travelled through Europe across the Arctic Circle to the Millbrook Winter Test Centre in Ivalo, Northern Finland and then back. The journey took 16 days to complete and the team visited 12 countries in the process taking in some of Europe's most iconic locations including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the official home town of Santa Claus at Rovaniemi in Finland, and the Oresund Bridge linking Sweden to Denmark on the way.
Road and weather conditions at this time of year in Scandinavia weree challenging to say the least. With temperatures dropping below freezing and withe plenty of snow and ice on an already harsh terrain, driving became potentiallye hazardous as the team navigated across Europe. To combat this, the Pursuit 530-4e & 550-4 caravans were matched to a pair of powerful Volvo XC90s, while the 2.0e Blue Hdi 160 BHP engine of the Autograph 75-2 was able to take the journey ine its stride. All vehicles were fully winterized, and fitted with winter tyres ande supplied with snow chains.
As with all Bailey leisure vehicles the 'Arctic Adventure' caravans and motorhome are built using the company's patented Alu-Tech body shell construction system. This award winning technology creates vehicles that are more robust, more durable and yet lighter than those manufactured using conventional methods to keep owners comfortable, safe and secure all year round.To date over 40,000 Bailey caravans and motorhomes have been built using this method and are currently being enjoyed all over the world.
This adventure was in stark contrast to the West 2 East Challenge, undertaken by Bailey Australia in 2015, in which two locally built Alu-Tech caravans travelled 3,700 miles the breath of the country through some of the most remote parts of the Australian Outback in temperatures at times in excess of 35 degrees on a mixture of dirt, gravel and corrugated roads.
This time round the vehicles were driven by, among others: Simon Howard Marketing Director, Bailey of Bristol & W2E Challenge Veteran); John Rawlings(Freelance Journalist & Seasoned Arctic Traveller); Martin Doreya (Celebrity Chef & Television Personality) Lee Davey (Freelance Journalist & Bailey Brand Ambassador) & Bernie Jones (Caravan and Motorhome Club Tow Course Instructor). Throughout the journey, the team were joined by representatives from the Outdoor Leisure, Travel and Motoring media.
